TASTE OF PLACE: Maine Cheese Guild Training

Since 2013, Peter Dixon & Rachel Fritz Schaal have been making natural cheese at https://www.parishhillcreamery.com/. These cheeses are a unique reflection of southern Vermont pastures and the cheese making heritage of that state. As they say, "From breed and feed, range and bedding, handling, pumping, filtering, hauling and storage — every choice changes the result."  More recently they have extended this philosophy to a collective effort: Cornerstone [https://www.cornerstoneoriginal.com/], a cheese made the exact same way by three cheese makers in three different regions. Each Cornerstone cheese embodies that region and cheesemaker.

Every good cheese maker creates cheese that is specific to their own skill, environment, and passion for dairy. Without external labeling -- such as the European 'Protected Domain of Origin' scheme -- available to a cheese maker, how do we tell our current and future customers what makes our cheese special? Peter and Rachel will spend a day with Maine cheese makers to explain how they have done it -- for instance, what is 'Natural Cheese'? -- as well as offer other examples from other cheese makers and regions who have successfully defined the Taste of their Place, convincing cheese lovers to seek out their cheeses.

A six hour lecture course, plus a one hour lunch and tasting break. Attendees are encouraged to bring samples of their own special cheeses and marketing materials for evaluation and feedback."